Contact: Kim Kaplan
Washington, May 3, 2021 William Hart-Cooper, a research chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, today was named a finalist for a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal as an Emerging Leader in recognition of his pioneering work developing a new class of disinfectants and packaging that protect human health and reduce environmental pollution.
The awards, also known as the Sammies, are given each year to federal employees who have distinguished themselves by making people, the country and the world safer, healthier and stronger.
Hart-Cooper, with the Bioproducts Research Unit at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California, is being recognized for his innovative new approach to formulating disinfectants and other products that provide long-term protection against pathogens and pests while dissolving into harmless components after disposal in water.